The Christian Sacrifice, Part 3
PART III. Containing a familiar way of diſpoſing our ſelves to Communicate with Profit and Pleaſure.
HAVING ſhewn you what is the Nature and Uſe of this Feaſt; you will expect, perhaps, that I ſhould tell you, who are the perſons whom our Lord invites and calls unto it. Which is a queſtion ſo eaſy to be reſolved from what hath been ſaid, that I have aſſigned no part of this diſcourſe, for the diſcuſſing of it. If you are baptized into the name of the Lord Jeſus, and ſeriouſly believe his Religion; if you take upon your ſelves to make good that promiſe, vow and Covenant, which was made in your name, when you were baptized; if you underſtand the ends of this holy Communion (which I have named) and are willing and deſirous to perform them; if you lie not under the cenſures of the Church for any violation of thoſe ſacred vows, which you have made to our Saviour: You are the perſons whoſe company he waits for, and would gladly ſee at his Table. Nay, he will take it ill, and account it a neglect of him and of your duty, a breach of your promiſe to obey all his holy commands; if you accept not of his kindneſs in inviting you thither: becauſe this is one of his Commands, as I have proved, that you ſhould do this in remembrance of him. Do not intangle your ſelves therefore in endleſs doubts and ſcruples about the qualifications that are required in thoſe that come to this Supper of the Lord: but only examine your hearts by this plain and certain rule. Do you believe the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt to be the truth of God? Do you conſent to be governed by his Laws? Do you remember, and will you ſtand to the Vow that was made in your name, when you were baptized? Are you deſirous to renew that Covenant, in the manner that I have deſcribed? Do you value his favour and grace declared in his pretious promiſes above all earthly things? Would you pertake of this holy Communion, that you may commemorate your Saviours dying love; that you may own and acknowledg him to be your Lord; that you may devote and unite your heart unto him in ſtricter friendſhip; that you may bind your ſelf in the bond of peace to all your brethren; and that you may receive more of his grace and greater aſſurance of his love, as the moſt invaluable bleſſing? Then lay aſide all your fears, and humbly approach unto him; to render him the Sacrifice of praiſe and thankſgiving; and to receive freſh tokens and pledges of his unchangeable good will and affection to you. I ſhall make no more words of this matter: but only add, that you may know ſufficiently by the invitation which the Miniſter makes to you at the Communion, in Chriſts name (according to the order of our Church) who are perſons qualified for this feaſt. And it is expreſſed in ſuch plain and pregnant words, that better cannot be deviſed for your direction and ſatisfaction. They are theſe.
Ye that do truly and earneſtly repent you of your ſins, and are in love and charity with your neighbours; and intend to lead a new life, following the Commandments of God, and walking from henceforth in his holy ways: draw near with faith, and take this holy Sacrament to your comfort.
Which that you may be able to do, I ſhall now proceed (according to the method I have propounded) in my endeavours to put you into ſuch a temper of mind, when you are at this holy Sacrament; that you may perform all that which hath been ſaid, with more eaſe and edification alſo to your ſelves. And that I may the better raiſe thoſe affections in you, which are ſutable to this action; it will not be amiſs to remember you a little of the excellency and dignity of the feaſt to which you are invited.
To make a true Feaſt theſe four things (in the opinion of the moſt learned of all the ancient Romans) muſt conſpire and meet together.Varro. lectis viris; lecto loco; lecto tempore; lecto apparatu. Choſen and ſelect perſons, a choice and delicate place; a choiſe time and ſeaſon; and choiſe proviſion; proportionable to the quality both of him that makes it, and of thoſe that are invited to it. Now in all theſe regards, if we reflect a while on them, this Supper of the Lord which he makes for us, will be found to be incomparably beyond the nobleſt entertainment which the world ever ſaw.
For as concerning the perſons that here meet together, they are our bleſſed Lord, the Maſter of the feaſt, and thoſe that believe on his name: to whom he hath given the right, or priviledg, to become the ſons of God, Joh. 1.12. A company of ſouls that are larger than the world; heirs of a Kingdom; rich in faith; as full as they can hold of love and charity towards each other, and towards all men. So that there cannot be either more honourable or more ſweet ſociety found under heaven.
Then for the place you ſee it is prepared in the houſe of God: where we give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; and ſhew forth his ſalvation from day to day: where we pay our vows unto him in the preſence of all his people; and make a joyful noiſe unto him by ſinging of his praiſes: where the Angels (as I may ſay) are waiters; and the heavenly hoſt are glad to attend upon us: according to thoſe words of the Apoſtle (in that very chapter where he treats of this Sacrament, 1 Cor. 11.10.) the woman ought to have a covering on her head, becauſe of the Angels.
As for the time, you ſee likewiſe it is commonly the Lords-day: on the day when he roſe from the dead, when he trampled under his feet the great enemy of mankind; when the Angels not ſo gliſtering as he, brought news that he had accompliſhed our redemption; when the hoſt of heaven was at a gaze to ſee mortal man made immortal; and reſtored to the ſtate of paradiſe again: when we have nothing elſe to do but to reſt and rejoyce; to declare the works of the Lord; to give thanks unto his holy name, and triumph in his praiſe.
And laſtly, for the proviſion it ſelf, I have told you already what it is: the body and blood of the Lord of life: bread that excells the Angels food: a cup of bleſſing, of which thoſe ſons of glory never taſted. To theſe our Lord calls us; nay, beſeeches and intreats us to come: that we may feaſt our ſelves on his Sacrifice of himſelf; and be filled with his love; and ſatisfie our ſelves with his joyes, and everlaſting conſolation.
Now what ſoul is there that can be willing to loſe his ſhare in ſuch divine food? that would be ſhut out from ſuch ſociety, or abſent from ſuch a place; or deſire to ſpend his day better than in near communion with our Lord? Either men do not believe theſe things, or they do not reflect on them and lay them to their hearts: for otherwiſe there is none that reads this writing, but will be moved to make one at this holy feaſt. But then as you cannot chuſe, if you ſeriouſly conſider, but judg it very deſirable to be admitted to it: ſo you cannot but think in what manner it becomes you to be adorned, and how you ſhould behave your ſelves in ſo great a preſence. If a mean ſubject ſhould receive a meſſage from his Prince, to come and bear him company at his own Table; would he not wonder and be aſtoniſht at the favour? would it not buſie every thought in his heart to know the cauſe? and would he not lay aſide all other imployment, that he might prepare himſelf to appear there after a decent and ſeemly faſhion? He could not be ſo ſtupid as not to ſtudy to form himſelf to a comely behaviour: and to learn to comport himſelf with all the reverence and fear, the caution and circumſpection, that his ſoul could poſſibly be maſter of. No marvel then if we ſee good Chriſtians ſo curious and exact, ſo diligent and laborious; to underſtand the meaning of our Lord in this invitation; to dreſs up their ſouls in the beſt manner they are able when they go to his Table; and to ſute their behaviour to the height of the ſolemnity: ſince to approach unto Majeſty, on ſuch an occaſion, with negligent thoughts and after a careleſs faſhion; is to ſlight both the greatneſs and the grace of him, who grants us the honour of his ſociety. To gratifie therefore the pious deſires and endeavours that are in any ſouls, to render themſelves fit company for our bleſſed Lord at this feaſt; I ſhall ſpend a few pages of this Book, in directing them how to demean themſelves before him, and diſpoſe their hearts to enjoy moſt ſweet and fruitful communion with him.
And that I may make my diſcourſe more eaſie and affectionate withal; I ſhall take the riſe of it from one of thoſe things juſt now named. Much of the contentment of a true feaſt, conſiſts in apt and good diſcourſe; according to the old ſaying, a ſupper without diſcourſe, is a Crib and not a Table *foreign.. And therefore the old Roman, I mention'd, gives this deſcription of the choſen perſons, of whom he would have his gueſts conſiſt; that they ſhould be ſuch as know how to ſpeak in a decent manner: and are neither talkative, nor altogether dumb ‖Nec loquaces, nec omnino muti.. Our Lord then making a feaſt here for us, and preſenting himſelf unto us in this broken bread, and wine poured forth: we are not to look on theſe as dumb ſigns; but as things that ſpeak moſt ſignificantly and diſtinctly to us. Though we hear never a word with our ears, yet our minds are to conceive, when Chriſt crucified is ſet thus before our eyes, that we hear him diſcourſing to us of his Love; of the ends of his death; of all the great bleſſings that he hath bought for us; and of all thoſe things which he juſtly expects from them that profeſs themſelves his diſciples. And accordingly it becoms us, to make ſuch replies unto him, and to anſwer in our hearts with ſuch expreſſions of our affection: as may ſhew that we underſtand, and are very ſenſible what he ſays unto us. Of both theſe I ſhall treat a little: leaving it to every mans own devotion, to inlarg them, as he ſees occaſion, in his private Meditations.
Firſt then, when you ſee theſe ſymbols of Chriſts body and blood, think that you behold the crucified Jeſus repreſented to you; that you ſtand in his ſight, and are in his company, yea, and hear him ſpeaking graciouſly to you, and calling you by the name of his choſen gueſts, his dear friends, and beloved Brethren. Into what a trance would it caſt you, if you really ſaw the Lord of life and glory, and heard him thus ſaluting you? How ready would you be to fall into a ſwoon of love and joy, at the very mention of theſe few words; My Brethren? And yet for ſuch he eſteems us, ſaying; I will declare thy name among my Brethren, Heb. 2.12. And ſo he called his Diſciples after he aroſe from the dead, ſaying, Go tell my Brethren that I go into Galilee, and there they ſhall ſee me, Matth. 28.10. and again, go to my Brethren and ſay unto them; I aſcend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God, Joh. 20.17. And we may well conceive that in ſuch terms of grace he receives us at this holy Feaſt: and make account we hear him ſay; My Brethren, I ſent my Miniſters to call you to my houſe and bid you to my Table, which here you ſee ſpread for you. It is well done that you are come; and I take it kindly to ſee you here. The reaſon of my invitation is that I may remember you of my love, and that you may ſhew your ſelves my Friends by a joyful commemoration thereof. I have no other end in ſending for you, but to make you more ſenſible of your happineſs; and to lay obligations on you, by doing my will, to continue in it; and likewiſe to impart unto you new tokens of my love: the very greateſt pledges that I can beſtow on you, to aſſure you that I will be your eternal friend. You may think perhaps, that this is but a little bread and wine which here you ſee before you; and that it is but poor cheer which I have provided for you. But open the eyes of your mind; remember and believe what I have taught you; and you will ſee that this is my body which was broken for you, and this is my blood which was ſhed for you: and on theſe I would now have you feaſt together. Behold here, how the ſpear pierced my ſide. See the hole which was made by the lance when it run to my very heart. Do you not diſcern how my hands were wounded; how my feet were bored, when I was nailed to the Croſs for you? How deſpitefully was I uſed? how cruelly was I martyred and tormented? beſides all the mockeries and abuſes, the ſhame and reproach, the agony and bloody ſweat which I endured to do you Service. Did I not love you, think you, when I ſuffered thus for you? Can you chuſe but read the greatneſs of my affection, which is writ in my moſt pretious blood? Can you doubt that you are dear unto me, whom I have purchaſed at ſo high a rate? Let theſe wounds ſpeak for me, and tell you what a paſſion I was in for your ſake. Look into them; and ſee what a vehement deſire I had to accompliſh your ſalvation. What ſorrow was there ever like unto my ſorrow? or what love was there ever like unto my love? This broken bread and this wine poured out, tells you that I have dyed once for you already: and I am now come by giving them to you to let you know that I do not repent me of it; but if it were needful, I would die for you the ſecond time. What greater aſſurance can your heart wiſh of my love, than this which I now offer you? what more would you have me do, to teſtifie that my heart is ſtill towards you, and that I will he ever mindful of you? As the Father hath loved me, ſo I have loved you: and all that I deſire of you is that you would continue in my love. If you keep my Commandments you ſhall abide in my love: Joh. 15.9, 10, 14.even as I have kept my Fathers Commandment and abide in his love. This is the token I would have of your kindneſs to me. Ye are my friends, if you do whatſoever I command you. Nothing elſe do I requeſt of you, but that you would not hurt your ſelves by ſinning againſt my love: that you would henceforth live unto me, who dyed for you. Come, I beſeech you now, and aſſure me, that you love me. Renew your covenant of friendſhip with me. By taking, eating and drinking this that I give you, plight me your faith that you will be ever true unto me. And then I will be your ſecurity againſt the curſe and the condemnation which you dread. I will undertake for you, that all your ſins ſhall be pardoned. Nay, I will preſent you fair and beautiful before my Father, as if you had been always innocent. Take my word for it, that I will deliver you from the wrath to come, and give you the bleſſing of eternal life. If you doubt at all of it; come hither, take this bread and drink this cup: as ſure as you now receive theſe, your ſins ſhall be blotted out and never remembred in the great day of judgment. By theſe tokens I give you an intereſt in my death and ſufferings. I oblige my ſelf by theſe ſenſible ſigns to perform all my promiſes. I ſeal to you that gracious Covenant which was made in my blood. As certainly as I dyed, I aſſure you that you ſhall live for ever. Only, as I ſaid, do not deny me your hearty love. Grant me this ſmall requeſt, to correſpond with me in ſincere affection. And by eating and drinking here at my Table, tye your ſelves to be my faithful ſervants. Then I allow you to begin now the joys of Heaven. Nay, I require you to rejoyce in my ſalvation: to comfort your ſelves in my promiſes; to ſolace your ſouls in the hope of my glory, and to ſing the Song of Angels, which ſhall end and be completed in eternal Hallelujahs. Praiſe ye the Lord.
It is no dream and mere imagination, I aſſure you Chriſtian Readers, no vain fancy that you entertain your ſelves withal; if you conceive our Lord thus diſcourſing to you at his Table. For all this is, in effect, pronounced by the Bread and wine which repreſent his pretious body and blood. When they are broken and poured out before your eyes, and offered to you to eat and drink in commemoration of of his death: they report unto you his great love, and declare the agonies and pains which he indured, and give you aſſurance, by authority from him, that he will never ceaſe to bleſs you and do you good. And therefore you cannot better affect your hearts and raiſe your devotion to him, in my opinion, than by expounding their meaning to your ſelves, and thinking you hear him uttering by them ſuch words unto you, as I have now mentioned.
And will it be poſſible then that you ſhould be altogether ſilent, and anſwer never a word unto him? Can you find nothing to return to ſo kind and gracious a declaration of the bowels of his mercy towards you? Or will it be hard to tell him your heart, who hath ſo freely opened his unto you? No man ſure can be mute, unleſs he be aſtoniſht and ſtruck dumb at the power and mightineſs of his incomprehenſible charity. This may indeed juſtly ſtrike us all with the greateſt admiration, and hold us a while in wondring thoughts, that we ſhould be thus beloved of God. It will well become us to be amazed and loſt in our thoughts; to be unable to do any thing at the firſt hearing of all theſe things, but only marvel that he ſhould be ſo kind to ſuch wretched ſinners. We cannot begin this action better, than in a ſoulfull of thoughts not to be expreſſed. In a ſilent admiration that the God of Heaven ſhould thus graciouſly viſit us; manifeſting himſelf in our fleſh, giving his Son to die for us, and inventing ſo many ways to make us reſt aſſured of his love towards us.
But when you have recovered your ſelves out of this paſſion; how many other ſhall you feel ſtrugling in your ſouls, which ſhall firſt preſent themſelves unto him. Do but ſtay and pauſe a while, upon every part of the foregoing words; and you will find all ſorts of reſentments in your heart: which you may caſt into this order, and thus addreſs your reply unto him.
You may be very much aſhamed that you ſhould give him ſo great trouble and put him to ſuch pains; Firſt to die, and then to find out ſo many ways to remember you of his death, and perſwade you of his never dying love. You may ſay to him in your heart; O my Lord, I bluſh to ſee my ſoul ſo foul, that nothing leſs than thy pretious blood would ſerve to waſh and cleanſe it. I am confounded to ſee thee in ſuch a caſe, for us who cared not how vile and baſe and miſerable we were. What have we done, that we ſhould bring thee to a Croſs? O what wretches were we, that we ſhould underſtand the love of God no better, than to ſtand in need of ſuch an inſtance of it? with what confidence can we behold thee thus battered and bruiſed; thus wounded and bloody; thus full of pain and anguiſh as thou repreſenteſt thy ſelf unto us? I am aſham'd to think that we have expoſed thee to ſuch ignominy and ſhame. I am grieved at the heart, that we have made thee a man of ſorrows. And our infidelity, O how great is it! that after thou waſt pleaſed to indure all this for us, we ſhould ſtand in need of ſuch frequent remonſtrances of it: and be in danger to forget thee or diſtruſt thee; unleſs thou didſt continually thus preſent thy ſelf unto us, and aſſure us of thy good will towards us. O my Lord, how ſhall I preſent my ſelf before thee! who am one of thoſe that have occaſioned all this care and pain; this agony and paſſion; this ſweat and this blood. I ſigh to remember the many groans, which we have made thy heart ake withal. It wounds my ears to hear thoſe words, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me. I am ready to ask thy pardon, even that thou art come, at ſuch a rate, to pardon us. It is too much, too much, but that thou art love it ſelf, to ſpend all this love and kindneſs upon ſuch inſenſible and ungrateful ſinners.
Thus having begun to make your addreſſes to him, you may proceed in the ſecond place
Humbly to acknowledg your unworthineſs to be gueſts to ſo great a perſon as he is. Though we cannot, if we underſtand the nature of this feaſt, but come with as thirſty a deſire to it, as the chafed Hart to the ſtreams of water; with as hungry an appetite as a poor man to a full Table, or a covetous man to an heap of gold: yet ſtill we muſt remember that we are but beggers, and thoſe deſires muſt be temper'd with much modeſty, lowlineſs and humility of Spirit. Though our Lord ſay to us as David to Mephiboſheth (2 Sam. 9.7.) thou ſhalt eat bread at my Table continually; thou ſhalt alwayes feaſt with me: yet it becomes us to bow down our ſelves, and ſay as he there did; what is thy ſervant that thou ſhouldſt look upon ſuch a dead dog as I am? It is too high a favour to ſup with thee: ſince I am not worthy to pick up the crums that fall from thy Table. The leaſt offal of thy common mercies is too good for me; how ſhall I dare to approach to this fulneſs of heavenly bleſſings to which thou inviteſt me? I have ſinned, I have ſinned; and am not worthy to be called thy ſon, or to bear thee company. In my very beſt attire I am ſo ragged, that I am aſhamed to ſee my ſelf; and therefore how ſhall I appear before thee? O my Lord, I come merely in obedience to thy call. I ſhould not have preſumed to appear in thy preſence, but that thou haſt hidden me. And been affraid to be ſeen in this condition, but that I was more afraid not to be ſeen here at all. My comfort is, that you will not be angry with us when we obey thee; nor be offended that we ſhew our ſelves ready to execute thy commands. And here
You may call to remembrance thoſe ſins which are the cauſe of your fear, and brought our Saviour to his Croſs. Excite in your heart an unfeigned ſorrow and grief that he hath been ſo affronted and wrong'd by you and all the world. Declare freely the ſenſe of your heart to him, and let him know by an humble and ingenuous confeſſion how the caſe ſtands with you. Say to him, O my Lord, thou doſt but call to mind by this remembrance of thy dying for us, the foulneſs and polution of all mankind. All our iniquities ſtare me in the face, as the people gazed and ſtared on thee. I ſee our deformities, by ſeeing thee thus vilely and deſpitefully uſed. It was our covetouſneſs that ſtript thee naked. Our pride that crown'd thee with thorns. Our intemperance that gave thee gall and vinegar to drink. Our contempt of Religion that put upon thee all thoſe ſcoffs and taunts. Our coldneſs in devotion, which put thee into that agony and ſweat. Our want of love to God, that made thee hated and rejected of men. I ſee as in a glaſs, now that I look upon thy blood, the abominable ſtate of ſinful men: which never ſeemed ſo foul as now. How ſhall one of that wicked race be bold to look up unto thee: eſpecially ſince that I have known thy love, I have ſo little valued it; and ſinned even againſt thy pretious blood*Here you may remember your particular offences.? Canſt thou indure to enter into familiarity with ſuch a ſoul as this, that here preſents it ſelf unto thee? may I hope to be admitted into thy holy fellowſhip and to dwell with thee? I abhor, I loath, I am weary of my ſelf; deſiring nothing more than to be made like to thee: in purity and holineſs, in truth and juſtice, in love and charity, in lowlineſs and humility, in meekneſs and patience, in compaſſion and forgiveneſs, in intire reſignation to the will of God. From hence
Proceed to ſtir up in your ſelves the greateſt hatred againſt your ſins, and all the wickedneſs that hath overſpread the world. Which nothing can ſo effectually demonſtrate to be odious and intollerable as this: that it hath made the nature of man capable to act ſuch a villany, as to put to death, after a moſt ſhameful manner, the moſt innocent and harmleſs, nay, the moſt loving and kind, the moſt obliging and charitable perſon that ever was. Continue your addreſſes to him, and repreſent your extreameſt deteſtation of that covetouſneſs and worldly mindedneſs, that pride and vain glory, that ambition and love of the praiſe of men, that envy and ill will, that wrath and bitterneſs of ſpirit, that hippocriſy and partiality, which betrayed and killed him the Prince of life. Shew him how much you abhor theſe and all that is evil: reſolving to cleave to that which is good. Deſtroy O Lord, may you ſay, all theſe thine enemies, and root them perfectly out of my heart. Pierce through all theſe evil affections, by a ſtroke from thy croſs and paſſion. I have brought them to be ſlain by thine hand, for they are too ſtrong for mine. If there be any life remaining in them; O that they may be quite mortified, and never able to ſtir any more. They are offenſive to me, as well as unto thee. Would I might never ſee them more, but crucified and dead. Would I might never behold them, unleſs it be drowned in thy blood. And then
Excite in your heart the mightieſt ſenſe of his love; which as it is never to be forgotten: ſo here it is more particularly to be pondered and affectionately commemorated. You may ſay to him; O my Lord, was manner of love is this, wherewith thou haſt loved us; that we ſhould be called the ſons of God! How great was thy goodneſs which brought thee down from Heaven; and made thee one of us! And was it not enough that thou ſhouldeſt come to dwell among us in the likeneſs of ſinful fleſh: but thou wouldeſt alſo lay down thy life for us? Would nothing ſerve to teſtifie the height of thy affection to us; unleſs thou ſufferedſt the death of the Croſs to redeem us? O Love! O the infinite riches of thy grace! For a Friend one might be content to die: but what ſhould make thee ſo in love with enemies? with the very worſt of enemies; with Idolaters; with us Gentiles who were without God in the world? Yea, with us, who now that we know the greatneſs of thy love, have ſo little or no love to thee? What am I, O Lord, that thou ſhouldeſt command me to love thee? Nay, ſhouldeſt take ſuch a courſe to deſerve my love? What am I to thee; that thou ſhouldeſt ſo much deſire me? And now thus graciouſly viſit me, and come to entertain me? What made thee being in Heaven, with them who know ſo well how to love and ſerve thee; deſcend to us who know ſo ill how to do either? couldſt thou not be ſatisfied unleſs we enjoy thee? nor be contented to be without us; who have ſuch low thoughts of thee and of thy love? Is it poſſible that thou ſhouldſt ſtill continue it to ſuch ill-natur'd and inſenſible wretches? Art thou ſtill deſirous of our friendſhip? and come to give us new aſſurances of thy grace, by making us pertakers of thy body and blood? O how pretious are thy thoughts to us! how great is the ſum of them! I can do no leſs, moſt bleſſed Saviour, than ſet my ſoul wide open to thee; and accept thy kindneſs with the moſt inlarged affection of my heart. How glad ſhould I be, if it were a thouſand times larger, to correſpond with ſuch a love! How happy ſhould I think my ſelf, if I could think of nothing, and delight in nothing but only thee! O that a perfect image of thee, in all divine vertues, may be formed in me; and be ever dearer to me than life it ſelf! that I may live no longer, but thou O bleſſed Jeſus, mayeſt live in me. And the life which I now live in the fleſh, Cal. 2.…I may live by the faith of thee, the ſon of God: who lovedſt me, and gaveſt thy ſelf for me. And then
Feeling the flames of his love in your heart, it will be a fit time to offer up your ſelf intirely in the greateſt devotion to his Service. Pray him to accept of a poor Sacrifice now at your hand. Though it be worth nothing at all; yet intreat him to receive it, ſince it is the oblation of the heartieſt affection to him. Say to him, O ſweet Saviour,1 Joh. 4.16. I have known and believed the love that thou haſt to us. I ſee here the exceſſive greatneſs of thy dying love. No heart is able to hide it ſelf from the heat thereof. One cannot come near it; and not be made like the whole burnt-offerings to the Lord. Never was any thing bought ſo dearly as this ſinful ſoul. Never was ſo great a price paid for any creature, as thou haſt laid down for my ſake. If I was as big as the higheſt Angel, I ſhould be an oblation too little for thee. The flames of thoſe heavenly fires, are not ſtrong enough wherewith to offer to thee. But that I may be juſt (for it is no more) I humbly lay my ſelf here at thy Altar; and preſent thee with all I have. I Sacrifice ſoul and body, without any reſerve, to thy holy will and pleaſure: though I muſt be beholden to thy great love, and not my own, to procure acceptance for me. I know how vile and unworthy I am, that thou ſhouldſt have any reſpect to my oblation. All that I can ſay is, that I offer my ſelf for this end, that I may be made better: and ſo have every day more and more to return unto thee.
For that purpoſe, ingage your ſelves in a covenant to him, that you will never rob him any more of that, which you have ſo ſolemnly offered to him. I look, O Lord, (may you ſay) upon my ſelf, as an holy and devoted thing. I have conſecrated my ſelf to thy ſervice, and ſo I will ever remain. Never will I be ſo ſacrilegious as to employ my ſelf to any other uſes, but only thine. Thou haſt been pleaſed to make me thy Temple: and therefore I will not willingly ſuffer thy holy place to be defiled. I am ſealed to thy ſelf and have thy mark upon me: I will never conſent my ſoul ſhould be broken up by any temptation, and ſtoln away from thee. I promiſe thee my faithful obedience. I bind my ſelf by theſe preſents in a firm and everlaſting tye of duty to thee. I am not my own: but bought with a price. 1 Cor. 6.20.Therefore will I glorifie God in my body and in my Spirit, which are Gods. I will love the Lord my God with all my mind, and with all my heart, and with all my ſoul, and all my ſtrength. And my Neighbour as my ſelf. And then
Humbly beg leave of him, that you may believe in his Name for the remiſſion of ſin. Continue to ſay to him: ſince thou haſt ſo graciouſly dyed for me; ſince thou haſt invited me hither to repreſent thy death and ſufferings to me, and aſſure me of thy love; ſince thou haſt bidden me to commemorate it at this holy Feaſt; be not angry if I call thee, my Lord, and my God. Suffer me to claim an intereſt in the Merits of thy pretious blood, which was ſhed to be a propitiation, for the ſins of the whole world. Look on me, O thou that ſitteſt at the right hand of God, with the favour thou beareſt to thy people. Joyn thy powerful interceſſion with my humble ſuits to the Father of mercies, that for thy ſake I may be accepted with him. I believe thou appeareſt in the preſence of God for us: and as we ſhew forth thy Sacrifice of thy ſelf here on earth, preſenteſt it in the moſt high and holy place, before the mercy ſeat. Bleſs me, O Lord, from that throne of thy glory: and raiſe up ſuch a holy hope in thee; as if I heard that voice founding from thence, I am thy Salvation. And here
Beg of him his mighty grace to confirm you in your reſolution: that ſo you may alway maintain in your ſoul this hope of his pardoning love. Since thou, O Lord, (may you ſay to him) art ſo forward to do us good, to beſtow thy bleſſings unasked, to die for us when we deſired it not, to inſtitute this feaſt which we never expected, to ſend thy Miniſters to call us to it; let me take the boldneſs now to ask ſomething of thee. O do not deny me the continuance of thine almighty grace. Take not thy holy Spirit from me: but let it be my conſtant companion, my guide, my helper, my comforter for ever. Is it not the purchaſe of thy blood? Is it not thy own promiſe? haſt thou not received it of the Father? and art thou not poſſeſſed of it, and of glory and power to beſtow it on us? Thou thy ſelf haſt told us that it ſhall be given to thoſe that ask it: and that becauſe thou liveſt, we ſhall live alſo. O do not loſe what thou haſt done already, for want of doing ſomething more.Pſa. 138.8. Perfect that which concerneth me: and forſake not the work of thy own hands. Hold me up and I ſhall be ſafe: 119.117, 133.58.and I will have reſpect to thy ſtatutes continually. Order my ſteps in thy word: and let not any iniquitie have dominion over me. I intreat thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.
Now becauſe there muſt alway be ſome mirth and joy at a feaſt: conclude all in praiſes to our Lord, and rejoyce in his holy Name. As he ſaid to his Diſciples when he waſhed their feet (Joh. 13.12.) ſo think you hear him ſpeaking to you now. Know ye what I have done to you? Are you ſenſible what grace it is that I have beſtowed on you? Do you know what I did for you upon the croſs; and what I have done unto you at my Table? O, dear Lord, that a man could but underſtand and conceive what thou haſt done for us! It would melt and diſſolve our hearts: and make them burſt out into the higheſt expreſſions of joy and gladneſs. All that is within us would be rouſed up to bleſs thy holy Name. We ſhould be fill'd with triumph and exaltation of Spirit in thy love: and the very furthermoſt parts of our ſoul would feel, that it is a moſt bleſſed thing to be thy ſervants. All the Muſick, and Songs, and Melody that the feaſts of ſenſual men are attended withal; are not worthy to be named with the joys of thoſe that ſing continually and ſay, Bleſſed be the Lord our God for ever: Neh. 9.4, 5, &c.bleſſed be thy glorious Name, which is exalted above all bleſſing and praiſe. Thou, even thou art Lord alone, thou haſt made Heaven, the Heaven of Heavens with all their hoſt, the earth and all things that are therein, the Seas and all that is in them; and thou preſerveſt all, and the hoſt of Heaven worſhippeth thee. Eph. 1.4. 1 Pet. 1.21.Thou art the Lord, the God and Father of Jeſus Chriſt: who haſt choſen us in him before the foundation of the world; and redeemed us by his blood; raiſed him from the dead, and given him glory that our faith and hope might be in thee our God. Thine, 2 Chron. 29.11.O bleſſed Jeſus, is the greatneſs, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the Majeſty; for all that is in the Heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. In thy hand is power and might, and in thy hand it is to make great, and to give ſtrength unto all. Now therefore; our God, we thank thee, and praiſe thy glorious Name. Pſal. 115. ult.We will bleſs the Lord from this time forth, and for evermore. Yea, bleſs the Lord ye his Angels that excell in ſtrength, that do his Commandments hearkning to the voice of his word. Bleſs ye the Lord, all ye his hoſts, ye Miniſters of his that do his pleaſure. Bleſs the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bleſs the Lord, O my Soul.
Thus if we did converſe with him; and ſuch holy communication did heartily paſs between us: it would be ſo pleaſant and delightful, that we ſhould cry out with the Jews in another caſe (Joh. 6.34.) Lord evermore give us this bread. We ſhould long for ſuch another repaſt, and be deſirous every day to wait on him at his Table. At leaſt, we ſhould greedily embrace the next invitation that he gives us to come unto it. And becauſe we cannot every day do this in remembrance of him; we ſhould ſecretly retire unto him in our own heart, as into his holy Temple: and there call to mind what he hath done unto us, commemorate his love, maintain our acquaintance, preſerve our friendſhip, and renew to him our vows: that by all theſe ways we may prepare our ſelves for his fellowſhip and ſociety in the eternal world.
It may happen indeed that there may be but a few communicants at the Table of the Lord: and ſo you may not have time there to do all this. In which caſe, you may uſe only ſome part of it; or thus in brief open your heart to him, when you ſee how he declares his love to you.
Adored be thy condeſcending love, O merciful Saviour to thine unworthy ſervant, who bluſhes to lift up his eyes towards thee, even when thou inviteſt me unto thee. For, beſides my other guiltineſs, this moſt gracious repreſentation which now thou makeſt of thy ſelf to me, doth but little move my dull and heavy affections to love and rejoyce in thee. I am heartily aſhamed of my ſelf: only, I deſire and reſolve to become better. And here I proſtrate my ſelf before thee, as a humble worſhipper of thee; preſenting thee with a poor oblation of my ſoul and body, which I dedicate again with the moſt dutiful affection, I am able to excite, unto thee. Do thou, O Lord, excite a greater: that when I ſhall appear before thee again, I may preſent thee with a ſoul more pure, humble, meek, merciful, and improved in all other fruits of thy holy Spirit. In thy mercies alone are all my hopes. For as the Heaven is high above the earth, ſo great is thy mercy toward them that fear thee. As far as the Eaſt is from th Weſt: Pſal. 103.11, 12.ſo far haſt thou removed our tranſgreſſions from us. O be merciful unto me, be merciful unto me; for my ſoul truſteth in thee. 57.1.Looks thou upon me, and be merciful to me, as thou uſeſt to do to thoſe that love thy name. 119.132.Thou art my portion, O Lord; I have ſaid, 57.173.that I would keep thy word. Let thine hand help me: Epheſ. 3.16.for I have choſen thy precepts. Strengthen me with might by thy ſpirit in the inner man; that denying all ungodlineſs and worldly luſts, Tit. 2.12.I may live ſoberly, righteouſly, and godly in this preſent world: looking for that bleſſed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and thee our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt. Now unto him that is able to keep me from falling, and to preſent me faultleſs before the preſence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wiſe God our Saviour, be glory and majeſty, Jude 24, 25.dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
But when there is time to do the whole, you will not ſpend it, I hope, in any thing elſe, but ſuch Meditations as theſe. Which, that they may be diſpoſed in ſuch order as every one of them may come in its ſeaſon, you may make uſe of in this manner. Think you hear our Saviour ſpeaking to you by the Bread and the Wine; when you ſee the one broken, and the other poured out. Then you may immediately imploy your thoughts in the four firſt (together with the ſecond. Meditation ſet down in the ſecond part) while the Miniſter is Communicating himſelf and others with him. The V. and the VI. will be ſeaſonable after you have received the Bread; and the VII. and VIII. after the Cup: together with thoſe mentioned before in the ſame place. And the two laſt in like manner, after you have withdrawn your ſelf from the holy Table; or before, according as you can find room for them. And if your ſpirit be not able to hold out in ſo many thoughts, and expreſſions of the inward ſenſe and affection of your heart; you may ſingle out thoſe, which you find to give you the moſt lively touch, and lift up your heart higheſt toward the Lord. And at ſome opportunity, the reſt perhaps may be as acceptable, or more welcome meditations: nay, you may feel your ſoul inlarged and run out in more pious thoughts and affections, than I can ſuggeſt or excite by all that I am able to ſay on this ſubject. But I deſire you never to omit one meditation, when you behold the reſt of the company receiving, which is; that all thoſe, and the whole Church, who pertake of this holy Communion, are your Brethren. To whom you muſt ſtir up (as I directed you before) the moſt fervent charity, and the readieſt diſpoſition to relieve, counſel, aſſiſt, comfort, or admoniſh them; as there ſhall be occaſion: And with whom you muſt reſolve to live in the ſtricteſt Unity duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page and peace, as thoſe who are Members of the very ſame body. When you think therefore that our Lord tells you, there is nothing he deſires of you, but that you would continue in his love and friendſhip by keeping his Commandments, (as he ſaid to his Diſciples, Joh. 15.9, 10. &c.) remember that he adds preſently, This is my Commandment that you love one another, as I have loved you, v. 12. which he repeats again, v. 17. Theſe things I command you, that ye love one another. And ſo, take them all into your heart, with as much affection; as if the embracing each other in our arms, and giving the holy kiſs of charity, were ſtill in uſe among us. And let the Memory of Chriſts death for his Enemies, and of this divine feaſt, together with him and your Brethren; ever kill all your Enmities, extinguiſh your anger, compoſe your differences, ſweeten the harſhneſs of your Spirits, &c. and make you live together as loving Friends that hope to live in endleſs love and immortal joys in the higheſt heavens. Of which you may alſo look upon this Feaſt, as an earneſt; and begin thoſe joys in ſuch thoughts as theſe, at the holy Communion: that, one day you ſhall keep an eternal Feaſt with our Saviour, in the happy company of the Saints and Angels; who will all joyn in the chearful praiſes of the bleſſed and only Potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords; 1 Tim. 6.15, 16.who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath ſeen, nor can ſee: to whom be honor and power everlaſting, Amen.